


A Shield Repurposed

by Azuron234



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Gen, Post-Blue Lions Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:00:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25141291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuron234/pseuds/Azuron234
Summary: Felix makes a quick stop in Fhirdiad after years to have his sword repaired. While waiting for these repairs though, he meets a young boy who would change his life.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Return From Adrift

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: I have updated the original story details as Mercedes has been introduced as a character in the story as of Chapter 3. This story is still centered around Felix, I just decided that if I need a recurring character, it may as well be an existing one.

It had been three years since Felix Hugo Fraldarius had last been in Fhirdiad, the capital of his homeland. Three years since the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus triumphed over the Adrestian Empire. Three years since he gave up his title to become a wandering swordsman. Times of peace did not suit a man raised only to swing a sword and cut down enemies, least of all Felix. Being back in Fhirdiad brought back a rare wave of nostalgia. The blue haired warrior would spot the old armory where he and his friends would admire weapons and armor, the park where eager children still played, and the confectionery where his friend Sylvain could never quite convince him to try the chocolate.

The old armory was in fact his destination. As diligently as Felix maintained his blade, he learned well that anything whittled away with age. His beloved curved sword needed professional maintenance, and the smiths of Fhirdiad were renowned across Fodlan for their skill. He entered the shop, a bell atop the door announcing his arrival. The stench of sulphur from the forge was rather comforting, having spent hours admiring weapons in this very shop. The man who arrived at the counter was not someone Felix recognized. He was young with messy brown hair and about Felix’s own age if that. His prim and proper appearance coupled with a noticeable lack of burn scars led Felix to believe that perhaps this man wasn’t the blacksmith he had come here to see. Felix would offer his best attempt at a polite nod, “Is the blacksmith in? I have a job I need him to complete as soon as possible.”

The young man behind the counter merely smiled, “You’re speaking to him, Sir.”

Felix cocked his head suspiciously, sizing the young ‘smith’ up, “Where’s Marvolo? I’m in the right shop, correct?”

The brown haired smith nods, “Marvolo was my father, he passed away about a year ago. I run the shop now, you can call me Mathias. I know I look young, but I assure you that I absorbed my father’s teachings earnestly.”

Felix looked at Mathias with a deadpan, only after a minute or so did he reply with a sigh, “Fine. I need you to repair my sword.” With that, he took the sword and scabbard from his hip and placed it on the counter.

Mathias carefully looked over the sword and his eyes lit up, “Wow, this is a Wo Dao! I haven’t seen one of these in a while, most smiths don’t make these anymore.”

Felix scowled, “I know, which is why you’d better not make it worse.” He pulled out a sack of coins from his belt and emptied it out onto the counter, “2000G here, that should be more than enough. I want this sword immaculate though, understand?”

Mathias would nod as he continued to admire the sword, “Yep, got it. It should be ready for you in three days or so. There’s an inn a few blocks north if you need a place to stay.”

Felix would offer a small nod of gratitude, “Got it.” Before he exited the shop. Now without a weapon, Felix felt a bit awkward. The same way one might feel being out in public in their underwear. He tried to shake off this feeling as he began to head north, as Mathias had suggested. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As he walked near an alleyway, Felix heard the all too familiar sounds of blows landing and their victim grunting or crying out in pain. Before he even thought about it, the hardened warrior began to stride down the alleyway. He came across the sight of five boys, easily no older than about 12. These five boys seemed to be circling around a single victim, throwing punches and kicks at what seems to be another boy. Felix hesitated for a moment, this wasn’t his fight and he couldn’t exactly cut these kids down. On the other hand though, this was less of a fight and more of a one sided beating. Out of what generosity remained in his heart, he called, “Hey! If you kids want to go around behaving like thugs, I’ll start treating you like thugs!”

At this the boys all stopped, turning to look at the newcomer to the alley. The one boy who appeared to be the leader of this attack gave an exaggerated snort as he turned to Felix, “Yeah? What’s that supposed to mean? You want to end up like this weasel here?”

Felix almost laughed at this, almost. He fixed a piercing glare upon the challenger and simply replied, “Try me.”

The leader of the hoodlums held Felix’s gaze for a short while, but as soon as the blue haired warrior took another step forward, the boys fled out of the alleyway.

Felix approached the other boy who was left beaten and bloodied on the ground. To his surprise though, the boy stood up and looked at Felix with something resembling bravado, fat lip and all. The bloodied boy assured Felix, “Thanks old man, but I had that.”

This time Felix let slip a snort of a laugh, “Clearly. Who were those kids?”

The boy would brush himself off as he replied, “Some kids in the neighbourhood, they think they’re all cool because their parents have some money. When I call them out to put them in their place, they like to gang up on me and try to beat me up. It’s a common occurrence. One of these days I’ll get them though.”

Felix would nod, “I’m sure you will. See you around, kid.” At this he would turn to leave the alley when he heard the boy begin to approach. The blue haired mercenary turned back around, “What is it?”

The boy would thump his chest, “For one, my name isn’t ‘Kid’. My name is Vicar. Two, I surely don’t need it, but I’d love it if you could teach me to fight! Er, give me pointers that is.”  


Felix would cock his head at that, “Do you make a habit of asking random strangers to tutor you? How do you even know I can fight? As far as you know I’m a man with a mean look.”

Vicar scratched his head, “Well, I wasn’t sure if you could at first. When you turned your back to me though, I saw it. That golden shield on your back, you’re Felix. As in _the_ Felix! The one who carries the Aegis Shield, a genuine Hero’s Relic! I’ve heard lots of stories about you.”

Felix blinked at this, he did not expect to find someone who idolized him. He also briefly forgot that he was carrying his family's legendary shield. He sighed, “Yes, I am ‘the’ Felix, yes this is the Aegis Shield. Listen though kid, I’m not what any stories you’ve heard think I am. I’m not a brave hero, I don’t embody chivalry, and I don’t fight for the greater good.”

Vicar grinned, “I said you’re _Felix_ , not Loog. The stories I’ve heard don’t paint you as a knight or a hero, the stories I’ve heard paint you as an honest person. You carve your path with your own two hands and a sword, and that is why you’re someone to be looked up to!”

Felix did not know how to respond to this, he stood there with his mouth slightly ajar for a moment before sputtering, “You know what? Fine. I’m gonna be in town for three days. I don’t know a damn thing about teaching people, and I am likely going to be harsher than any instructor you’ve ever had. If it will get you off my case though, I will teach you a thing or two about how to defend yourself. Find me at the inn down the street tomorrow morning.”

Vicar would flash an even bigger grin, “Yes! You got it Felix, sir! I won’t let you down, and I won’t be late!”

Felix walked out of the alleyway, still somewhat stunned by what the boy told him. He sure would have loved to know who wrote such accurate stories about him.


	2. Starting From Scratch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix begins to train Vicar, the young boy who after a scuffle in an alley, seeks Felix's guidance to become stronger. Vicar will soon discover the dedication required to be a warrior like Felix.

The next morning was chilly, as mornings often were in Fhirdiad. Felix, after his morning rituals and a hearty breakfast, would go out behind the inn he was staying at. There wasn’t a lot of space, but there was more than enough space for what he needed. Already out in the yard was Vicar, the young boy whom Felix had agreed to tutor in combat. Vicar grinned, “Morning, Sir Felix! I’m ready to go!”

Felix flinched at the use of ‘Sir’ and replied, “Felix is fine. Glad to see you’re here early. I don’t like wasting time.”

Vicar would draw a wooden sword from his back and exclaim, “I’m ready to learn! I even brought my favourite sword.”

Felix nodded, “First thing you’re going to do is stretch. You don’t always have time on the battlefield, but it’s best to do it before training. You’ll hurt yourself otherwise with what we’re going to do.”

With that, Vicar followed Felix’s lead into several stretches. For a trained warrior like Felix, this was hardly a trifle. Vicar had a little more trouble keeping up though. After they finished stretching, Vicar nodded enthusiastically, “Alright, now it’s sword time!”

Felix shook his head, “No. First we’re going to be doing hand to hand combat.”

Vicar seemed defeated at this, “What? Why? You’re a swordsman, what does punching people have to do with swinging a sword?”

Felix was about to answer this, but instead his face twisted into a small smirk, “You know what? You’re right. Let’s get right into fighting. Let’s see you try to hit me.”

Vicar cocked his head in confusion, “Huh? You don’t even have a sword.”

Felix shook his head, “I need the handicap. Come on, kid. Show me what you can do.”

Vicar, with an overzealous battle cry, gripped his wooden sword with two hands and ran towards Felix. He raised the sword above his head and swung it vertically towards the blue haired warrior. Felix sidestepped the attack, hitting the side of the sword with a sideways chop from his hand. This sent the wooden sword flying out of Vicar’s grip, landing harmlessly a few feet away. Without missing a beat, Felix swept the boy’s leg out from underneath him. He brought the boy to the ground and held his fist above him as he declared, “Guess I win.”

Vicar sputtered both in disbelief and a little bit of pain, “That’s not fair, I lost my sword!”

Felix sighed, standing up as he explained, “Try telling that to the local bandit gang. It won’t end well for you. A sword is a mere extension, not the source of your might. If it comes down to it, you need to be able to fight your opponent without a weapon. That is where so many ‘warriors’ fall short.” He rolled his shoulders and added, “Besides, you’re trying to defend yourself against those kids. Not cut them down.”

Vicar pouted, he had no rebuttal. He got up and dusted himself off, slapping his cheeks and turning to Felix, “Then let’s get started with hand to hand combat. I want to learn all I can!”

Felix nodded but warned, “Remember, I’m not going to go easy on you.”

So Felix took the time to begin teaching the boy to fight. They worked on proper stances, the right way to hit an enemy, grapples, footwork, and other essentials. The boy showed heart, even Felix admitted that. When it came to sparring, no matter how many times Vicar was swept or thrown to the ground, the boy would get back up still. This occupied most of the day. Morning turned to afternoon, and before Felix had even realized it, the sun was beginning to set. By this point, Felix had managed to actually work up a decent sweat. Which was nothing compared to Vicar, who laid exhausted on the dusty ground, panting as he tried to catch his breath from the previous bout of sparring.

Felix’s face cracked into a very faint smile, “Not bad, Vicar. We’re done for today. You go home and wash up. We’ll begin again tomorrow, same time.”

Vicar began to protest, but his own weariness seemed to agree with Felix’s sentiment. It was indeed time to retire for the day. He got up, brushing himself off yet again before turning to Felix, “Tell me one thing though. That move you did this morning… where you knocked my sword out of my hand. Where did you learn to do that? It was really impressive!”

Felix simply shrugged, “I learned it from a friend. Now off you go.”

As the gruff swordsman sent Vicar on his way, he found himself rather satisfied. He picked up the wooden sword that Vicar had left behind, deciding aloud, “Maybe this won’t be such a waste of time after all.”


	3. Breach In The Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vicar is late for his training session with Felix. When he arrives, Felix immediately notices the boy is sick. He lets him train anyway, but the boy collapses. Unsure of what to do, Felix desperately searches Fhirdiad for an answer.

It had been three days since Felix agreed to train Vicar, the young boy he met in an alleyway, in some basic combat techniques. The boy was a fast learner, and Felix had been rather impressed with the boy’s resolve. The blue haired swordsman waited out back behind the inn he had been staying at, but Vicar had yet to show up. “Where is he?” Felix asked impatiently, this wasn’t like the boy. Ten minutes passed before Vicar would show up. The boy waved to Felix with about half the enthusiasm he usually put into such a greeting, “Hi Felix, sorry I’m late!”

Felix immediately took notice of something, the boy was a sickly pale and had a horrible cough. The quick-eyed warrior shook his head, “You’re sick, you shouldn’t be out. Go home.”

Vicar shook his head, “Felix, I can’t do that! This is my last day to train with you, I can rest tomorrow. I’m fine, I promise.”

Felix grimaced a bit at the sight of the boy, but sighed, “Very well, I won’t stop you. Just don’t retch on me.”

After warming up, Felix would instruct the boy, “Alright, let’s practice your free form combinations with dodging. Nice and easy for you by now.”

Vicar nodded, at this point he had gotten rather adept at this drill. He focused and approached Felix, throwing a few punches. He was quite off this time though, he swayed as though trying to hit a target next to Felix. As the boy struggled to complete the drill, Felix called, “Hey, focus! Get ready to dodge!” The blue haired swordsman threw a sweep kick towards the boy’s leg, expecting him to nimbly jump over the attack as he was taught. Vicar hardly seemed to notice the attack though, getting knocked to the ground. The boy laid on his back, gasping for breath shallowly. It became apparent to Felix that his young pupil was much worse off than originally thought. He picked up the boy, carrying him across his shoulders as he said, “You’re done. You need to be home and resting. Where do you live?”

Vicar was quiet, lacking strength to reply to his teacher. Felix grimaced, “Damnit!” He didn’t know how serious this illness was, but he chastised himself for not taking it seriously before. He wasted no time, running around town to try to find where this boy lived. He asked anyone who would listen, “Do you know where this boy lives? He’s sick, he needs to be home.” 

Unfortunately for Felix though, no one seemed to recognize Vicar, even after an hour of searching. Fhirdiad was a big place, even a single district took a while to search. The impatient vagabond slammed his fist into a stone wall, “Gah! What do I do?!” It was then Felix heard something faintly in the wind, muffled tones of a woman’s voice calling. He listened intently, and the voice called again. This time he heard the voice call, “Vicar! Vicar, where are you?!”

Felix didn’t miss a beat, running towards the voice calling the name of the boy he was carrying. Oddly enough, he seemed to recognize the voice. He couldn’t place whom it belonged to though. He raced through the streets of Fhirdiad toward the voice, narrowly avoiding a collision with several civilians traveling at a reasonable pace.

It was then that Felix spotted something that would make him stop in his tracks, spotted someone in fact. Before him was a woman with blue eyes, short hair, and a white dress. Adorning her shoulders was a brown shawl, and she smiled when she noticed Felix, “Oh, Felix! Whatever are you doing back in Fhirdiad? It’s so good to see you!”

Felix blinked in surprise, “Mercedes, it’s been a long time.” The blue haired swordsman cursed his faulty memory, how could he have forgotten Mercedes Von Martritz? She was a cleric in training who attended the Officer’s Academy with him, she was even in the same class. Once war broke out, she served King Dimitri along with Felix himself and the other Blue Lions.

Mercedes was about to continue when she gasped, “Oh, Vicar! Felix you found him, thank you so very much! I left him by himself for only ten minutes to go get him some medicine, and he was gone! He was very insistent on going to see his new friend.”

Felix suddenly felt the same bit of guilt from before creeping back up into the back of his mind as he insisted, “We can talk about that after. For now, where is he staying?”

Mercedes nodded, “He stays with me, let me show you where we live!”

Felix wasn’t quite sure what to make of finding Mercedes in Fhirdiad. Where had she been all this time? Why did she know this boy? Right now though, getting Vicar home was a much higher priority.


End file.
